Automatic sheet-metal disk or cap feeding machine.



No. 702,388. Patented Iune I0, I902.

' J. F. WING.

AUTOMATIC SHEET METAL DISK 0R CAP FEEDING MACHINE.

LApplication filed Oct. 22, 1900. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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AUTOMATIOSHEET METAL DISK 0B CAP FEEDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Oct. 22, 1900.

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No. 702,388. Pat ented June 10, I902.

J. F. wme.

I AUTOMATIC SHEET METAL DISK 0R GAP FEEDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Oct. 92, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

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UNITED 4 STATES PATENT OFFICE.

j JOHN F. WING, OF MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATlO'SHEET-METAL DISK OR CAP FEEDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,388, dated June 10, 1902. Application filed October 22, 1900. Serial No. 33,939. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. WING, a citizen of the United States, residing in Maywood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have 5 invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic-Sheet-Metal Disk or Cap Feeding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines or apro paratus for feeding or delivering disks or caps of sheet metal.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine or mechanism of a simple and efficient construction by means of which sheetmetal disks or caps which are used for closing the stud-holes oriilling-openings in the heads of tin cans may be automatically, regularly, and properly fed one by one to the automatic machine for hemming the edge of the cap with a thin ring of solder. Heretofore these caps have been fed to the hemmedcap machine by hand.

The machine or mechanism embodying the invention comprises, first, a tilting or vibrating box or receptacle in which the caps or disks are placed promiscuously in bulk, having a discharge-orifice furnished with a movable gate which operates to arrest all caps that are wrong side up and permits only those which are right side up to pass out, said gate being slightly opened when the box or receptacle tilts back, thus releasing the arrested caps which are Wrong side up and permitting them to slip back into thereceptacle andmix 3 5 again with the general supply of caps therein; second, a series of chutes or passage-ways for the caps that have escaped from the feed-box or receptacle,'each provided with a vibrating cap-feed-controlling device which permits the 40 caps to pass along one by one; third, mechanism for operating these. cap-feed-controlling devices successively one after another, one at each movement or stroke of the press, and, fourth, a collecting chute or passageway having inclined guides leading to the chute or passage-way by which the caps are delivered to thepress or mechanism for hemming the cap with solder.

The invention consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described, and specified in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine or mechanism embodying the invention, showing the same applied to a press or mechanism for hemming the edges of can-caps with solder. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the invention. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail "elevation. Fig. 4 is a central vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a detail view, partlyin section, showing one of the cap-feed-controlling devices.

In the drawings, A represents a hemmedcap machine, mechanism, or press to which the sheet-metal disks or caps are required to be fed or delivered one by one and to which the invention is specially designed to be ap- I plied. As the particular construction of this press or cap-hemming mechanism A is not material to afford a proper understanding of the construction and operation of the automatic cap feeding mechanism embodying this invention, it is of course not necessary to describe said press or mechanism A.

B is the tilting or vibrating box or receptacle in which the can-caps a; are placed promiscuously and from which they are to be fed or delivered as required to the press or machine A. The box or receptacle B is hinged or pivoted at b to the upper end of the series of cap chutes or passage-waysD D, down which the caps slide. The mouth of the tilting or vibrating receptacle B is furnished with acorresponding series of cap-discharge orifices or ways 1), formed by the division-ribs Z2 which register with the divisiomribs d,'separating or forming the passage-ways D. The mouth of the vibrating receptacle B is further provided with a movable gate 12 having a ledge or lip 12 parallel to the bottom of the box B and which is normally held down by a light spring 12 attached to the arm b on the box, leaving a narrow orifice just sufficient to perunder the light spring-held gate if said cap is right side upthat is to say, if it has its curved rim edge downwardbut which will operate to prevent the escape of the cap from the box if it is wrong side up, as indicated at at in Fig. 4. The gate b has pins 79 which fit in vertical slots b? in the front end piece I) of the box B, so as to permit a slight 11pward or opening movement of the gate sufficient to permit the reversed caps caught under or arrested by the gate to be released therefrom and slide back into the box when the same is tilted downward. The gate is thus opened or released when the box B is tilted downward by a projection 19 on the gatestriking against the stop E on the chutes D. The bottom of the box is also preferably furnished with a shoulder or offset b at a distance back of the gate somewhat greater than the diameter of the caps, so that when the box is tilted downward caps which are right side up and near the gate will be held in this position by the shoulder, while those which are wrong side up will slide over the shoulder and mingle with the general mass of'caps in the box when it tilts downward. To prevent the caps from falling out of the box when it tilts downward, it is provided with a partial top B at its rear end. To prevent the caps from slipping or sliding over each other as they slide down the chutes or passage-ways D, said ways are each provided with an upper guard or guard-rail D, the same being secured to the cross-bar D which extends transversely over the chutes D. Each of the chutes or passage-ways D is provided with a vibrating cap-feed-controllin g device F,which permits the caps to feed or pass along only one by one. This controller F preferably consists of a vibrating lever or bar furnished at each end with a stop-pin. The stop-pin f at the lower end of the bar, which engages the front edge of one cap, as illustrated in Fig. 6,when the feed-controller F is in its normal position,while the other stop-pinf, the lower end of which has a yielding or elastic head f and a spring f engages the back of the next succeeding disk, if one is in the passageway,when the controller is vibrated to lift the stop-pin f and permit the cap resting against it to feed forward. A spring f holds the feedcontroller bar F in its normal position or with the stop-pin f down, and the feed-controller is-vibrated at intervals as required by an arm or projection g on the rotating shaft or cylinder G striking against the upper end of the feed-controller bar F. The series of chutes are preferably, as illustrated in the drawings, ten in number, although the machine may be built with a greater or less number. This number is sufficient to insure the entrance of caps right side up into the chutes D by the vibrating movement of the box B as fast as the same may be required to supply the hemmedcap machine with a cap for each stroke of the press A. To cause only one cap to be released at a time from the series of chutes or passage-ways D by the series of cap-feed controllers F therein, the shaft G, which makes one-tenth of a revolution for each stroke of the press, has its arms or projections g for operating said controllers F arranged spirally around the shaft, so that only one of the several controllers F will be operated at each movement of the shaft G.

H is the collecting chute or passage-way which receives the caps or disks w as they leave the series of parallel chutes or passageways D. This collecting-chute has inclined lower edges h and connects with the deliverychute or passage-way K, by which the caps are conducted to the hemmed-cap machine or press A. This chute or passage-way K is also provided with a vibrating cap-feed controller F of the same construction as that already described. The cap-feed controller F in the chute or passage-way K, however, is operated or vibrated at each stroke of the press, the same being thus operated by an arm M, rigidly attached to the movable slide of the press, which slide receives its motionfrom the revolving shaft M on the hemmed-cap mechanism or press A through any suitable connections Motion is imparted to the shaft G from the hemmed-cap mechanism or press A through the wheel M connecting-bar N, pawl-lever N, pawl N and ratchet N on said shaft G. The tilting or vibrating box B is tilted up and down as required by means of a revolving shaft P, driven from the press A through the belt P and which is furnished with an arm P having adjustably secured thereon a roller P3, Which engages a hinged arm P having a curved or cam-shaped-portion 19, so as to impart to the box B, through the connecting-link 1), a quick or sudden dropping movement and a slow rising movement, with a slight pause when the box is up or in its elevated position, so as to give time for the disks which are right side up and in position to slide under the gate 17 to do so. The quick dropping movement tends to stir the caps up and cause those which are wrong side up to be in time turned right side up.

R indicates the spool from which the ribbon-solder is fed to the hemmed-cap mechananism, and R guide-rollers therefor.

I claim-- 1. In a machine for automatically feeding metal disks or caps, the combination with a tilting or vibrating box or receptacle furnished with a series of discharge-orifices at one end and provided with a yielding gate permitting the passage of caps or disks which are right side up and arresting those which are wrong side up, and means for slightly opening and relieving the gate when the box is tilted downward thus releasing the arrested caps, a series of chutes or passage-ways for the caps, each provided with a vibrating capfeed controller permitting the caps to pass along one by one, mechanism for operating said cap-feed controllers successively one after another, a collecting chute or passageway, and a delivery chute or passage-way pro- IIO receptacle is tilted downward, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with a tilting box or receptacle having a narrow, horizontally-extending discharge-orifice and a gate furnished with a spring for holding it in its normal position, and provided with a projecting arm, and a stop which said arm engages when the box is tilted downward, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a tilting box or receptacle having a series of narrow, horizontally-extending discharge-orifices for disks or caps, of a series of chutes or passage-ways,

and a collecting-chute, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with a tilting box or receptacle having a series of discharge-orifices for disks or caps, of a series of chutes or passage-ways, a collecting-chute, and a series of cap-feed controllers in said series of chutes or passage-ways, substantially as specified.

7. The combination with a tilting box or receptacle furnished with a narrow, horizontally-extending discharge-orifice, of mechanism for imparting a quick downward or dropping movement and a slow rising movement to said box or receptacle, substantially as specified.

8. The combination with a tilting box or receptacle furnished with a discharge-orifice, of mechanism for imparting aquick downward or dropping movement and slow rising movement to said box or receptacle, said mechanism comprising a revolving shaft having an arm and a vibrating lever furnished with a curved portion, substantially as specified.

JOHN F. WING.

Witnesses:

EDMUND ADOOCK, H. M. MUNDAY. 

